Cognitive-Rational Reconstruction

• Applicants: Dr. David Löwenstein; Professor Dr. Gottfried Vosgerau
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 548061227

Argumentation theory and applied argument analysis aims at making justifications and justification structures comprehensible. To this end, rational reconstructions of individual arguments and networks of several interrelated arguments are presented and philosophically reflected upon. Implicit elements are made visible, such as implicit premises, implicit conclusions or even entire implicit arguments, which result from the possibly not explicitly mentioned role of a contribution in a more complex discussion situation. The problem, however, is that human belief formation is often subject to "irrational" influences that lead to false beliefs. So far, cognitive biases have played virtually no role in the reconstruction of arguments. One reason for this may be that cognitive distortions are processes that generally occur unconsciously and cannot be consciously controlled. Since they are at least superficially subject to little or no cognitive control, it seems that they cannot be cited as premises or reasons in arguments. Another reason that cognitive biases have not been considered in argument reconstruction so far is that cognitive biases are considered "irrational" by definition. However, the principle of benevolence is central to argument reconstruction. According to this principle, arguments should always be reconstructed as strong, rational and plausible as possible, including implicit and benevolently reformulated elements. Adequate inclusion of the fact that people form beliefs in an "irrational" way is therefore methodologically very demanding, perhaps even impossible, in argument reconstruction. The aim of this project is to integrate cognitive biases and other explanatory strategies, such as information deficits or virtue deficits, into the reconstruction of arguments without violating the principle of benevolence. The existing method of rational argument reconstruction will be supplemented and further developed into the new method of cognitive-rational reconstruction of arguments. This method is intended to make justifications visible even where they were previously not visible. In this way, the effects of cognitive distortions and biases known from psychological research should, as far as possible, become visible as part of the substantive debate instead of remaining invisible as supposedly irrational foreign bodies or evolutionary automatisms. This forms the basis for a fair discussion of justifications that does not remain in the ideal-rational space, but instead connects to the empirical realities of human thought.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants